Electrical connector housing



Sept. 26, 1961 J. J. BERTRAM ET AL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING FiledSept. 24, 1958 lNVENTORS JOSEPH J.BERTRAM SEYMOUR ROSENF'ELD ,4 TQRNEV3,002,175 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING Joseph J. Bertram, Norwalk,Conn., and Seymour Rosenfeld, New York, N.Y., assignors to BurndyCorporation, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 24, 1958, Ser. No.763,071 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-126) This invention relates to electricalconnectors, and more particularly, to electrical connectors employing aplurality of mating contacts disposed within an insulating panel.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simplified connector inwhich the contact panel is assembled within a shell or a frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved electricalconnector assembly which can be easily assembled and disassembled.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means formounting an electrical connector panel member within a housing.

One of the features of our invention is the provision of an easilyassembled multiple contact electrical connector which comprises aninsulating panel, containing the contacts, having projections thereonwhich cooperate with projections on a housing to limit movement of thepanel within the housing in one direction and which, together with alocking member, limit direction of the panel within the housing in theother direction.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of our invention willbecome more apparent by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of the plug and receptacleportion of an electrical connector utilizing our invention; and

FIG. 2 is a rear end view of the assembled connector.

Referring to the form of our invention shown in the drawing, an explodedview of an electrical connector in accordance with the principles of ourinvention is therein shown to comprise a receptacle for cooperation witha plug 12. The receptacle portion 10 has three main elements: a shell orframe member 14, an insert or panel member 16 in which are mounted aplurality of electrical contact members and a locking member 18. Theplug 12 is composed of three similar members: a shell 20, insert 22 andlocking member 24. The insert 16 of the receptacle 10 has a plurality ofbores therein, each adapted to contain one of a plurality of identicalelectrical contacts or, more particularly, sockets 26 while the insert22 of the plug 12 has a plurality of bores therethrough, each adapted tocontain mating electrical contacts or pins 40. The electrical contactsare restrained within the panel by molding or other means well known tothose skilled in the art of electrical connectors. The insert or panel16 may be composed of a suitable insulating material such as plastic andincludes on its outer surface a shoulder 28 having a front lockingsurface 27 and a rear locking projecting surface 31. The shoulder 28 hasthree discontinuities 29, one on one side of the insert and two on theopposite side (not shown).

The frame member 14 includes a metal shell made of a suitable materialsuch as aluminum and has on its inner surface a peripheral rear lockingshoulder 30 and a front locking shoulder 32. Front locking shoulder 32may be discontinuous, as shown, for convenience in molding, or may becontinuous. Rear locking shoulder 30 must be discontinuous and consistsof projections adapted to clear insert shoulder discontinuities 29 whenthe insert is thrust into the shell. A mounting flange 34 is providedfor ease in mounting the connector shell to a bulkhead or wall. Alocking mem er ,18, generally U 3,02,l75 Patented Sept. 26, 1961 shaped,has its legs positioned between the rear shoulder face 31. and theprojections of rear locking shoulder 30 to lock the panel insert 16 inthe housing 14.

The plug member 12 is constructed in a generally similar manner to thereceptacle 10. The insert 22 includes a plurality of bores therethroughin which are disposed the male or pin contact members 40 which cooperatewith the sockets 26 to provide electrical continuity between the plugand receptacle portions of the connector to electrically connect aplurality of electrical circuits. A shoulder 42 having threediscontinuities 43, one on one side and two on the opposite side (notshown) is formed on the insert 22 to provide front and rear lockingsurfaces. The housing 20 of the plug 12 includes a rear locking shoulder44 and a forward locking shoulder 46. Front locking shoulder 46 may bediscontinuous, as shown, for convenience in molding, or may be continuous. Rear locking shoulder 44 must be discontinuous and consists ofprojections adapted to clear insert shoulder discontinuities 43 when theinsert is thrust into the shell. A flange 48 is provided for ease inmounting the connector to a chassis. The locking member 24'is generallyU-shaped and has a bend 50 therein.

To assemble receptacle 10, the insert or panel 16 is moved axially intothe housing 14 until the forward edge 27 of the shoulder 28 abuts theshoulder 32 on the inner surface of the shell 14. In order to allow theshoulder 28 of the insert 16 to pass the rear shoulder projections 30,the discontinuities 2,9 are formed in the shoulder 28. Thesediscontinuities in conjunction with th rear shoulder projections 30 alsoserve the function of polarizing the insert within the shell andensuring proper orientation. The distance between the forward shoulder32 and the rear shoulder projections 30 on the inner periphery of theshell 14 is greater than the width of the shoulder 28, or in otherwords, more than the distance between the forward edge 27 and the rearedge 31. Thus when edge 27 abuts shoulder 32, edge 31 is spaced slightlyaway from projection 30. When in this location, the locking bar 18 mayhave one of its legs inserted between the rear edge 31 and the rearshoulder projections 30, and its other leg may be inserted into thesmall space between the rear edge 31 and the locking shoulderprojections 30 and thus prevent longitudinal movement of the insert 16relative to the shell 14 in the rearward direction, at the same timepermitting lateral float for proper alignment with mating plug.

The bend 38 in the locking member 18 cooperates with the opening 36 inthe housing to maintain the locking member 18 in position when theconnector is assembled. Since the locking member 18 has spring-likecharacteristics, it functions as a shock absorber as well as a holdingdevice.

In a similar manner the plug 12 is assembled so that the insert 22 hasits front edge of the shoulder 42 abutting front locking shoulder 46.The locking member 24 is inserted into the small space between theshoulder 42 and the rear locking shoulder projections 44. The bend 50 inlocking member 24 maintains the locking bar 24 in position. Thus asshown in FIG. 2, the spring element 24 has its legs locked behind thelocking projections 44 of the housing and in front of the shoulder 42 ofthe insert to prevent withdrawal of the insert without prior retrative,and that the invention may be carried out in other ways withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention, and therefore, we claimbroadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities comingwithin the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which, objectsof our invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it isobvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described areonly some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects andaccomplish these results.

We claim:

1. In an electrical connector a housing shell having a forwardperipheral shoulder on the inner surface thereof, at least one rearwardprojection on the inner surface of said shell longitudinally spaced fromsaid forward shoulder; an insert adapted to carry an electrical contactfor disposition within said shell into abutment with said forwardperipheral shoulder by insertion past said rearward projection includinga shoulder having a longitudinal width less than the longitudinalspacing between said forward shoulder and said rearward projection andincluding at least one discontinuity therein which is longitudinallyaligned with said rearwad projection on said shell, and a removablelocking member disposed between said insert shoulder and said rearwardprojection for locking said insert in said shell.

2. A connector assembly comprising an insulating plug having an externalshoulder with at least one discontinuity therein, a shell having atleast one projection on its inner surface to cooperate with saidshoulder to limit forward movement of said plug into said shell, and atleast one additional projection longitudinally spaced from said firstmentioned internal projection a distance greater than the longitudinalwidth of said shoulder and disposed opposite and in longitudinalalignment with said discontinuity in said plug shoulder; and a removablelocking member insertable between the rear of said plug shoulder andsaid additional projection when said plug is inserted in said shell tolimit rearward movement of said plug within said shell.

3. A three-part connector assembly comprising an insert having aperipheral shoulder thereabout, with discontinuities therein; a shellmember having on its inner surface a front projecting means abuttingsaid insert shoulder and rear projecting means disposed opposite and inlongitudinal alignment with said discontinuities and spaced from saidfront projecting means; and a removable substantially U-shaped lockingmember the legs of which are disposed on opposite sides of said insertand between said rear projecting means and the rear of said shoulder.

4. Electrical connector assembly according to claim 3 wherein saidsubstantially U-shaped member and shell includes cooperative means tohold said locking memher in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS919,940 Paiste Apr. 27, 1909 1,736,370 Sachs Nov. 19, 1929 1,909,270Guett May 16, 1933 2,160,713 Bentley May 30, 1939 2,171,331 Folsom Aug.29, 1939

